


Cognitio Rerum

by sailingonstardust



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Confessions, Friends to Lovers, Gladnis, Love Confessions, M/M, Near Death Experiences, POV Alternating, Rated E for later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-01 08:17:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13290828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailingonstardust/pseuds/sailingonstardust
Summary: cognitio rerum - becoming acquainted with a conception, notion, or idea.It was to be a simple reconnaissance mission. Ignis and Gladio had agreed to scout a nearby Imperial base from a safe distance while Prompto and Noctis stayed behind at their haven. Honestly the thought of some time without those two in tow put Gladio in good spirits, even more so knowing that he would be getting some much desired alone time with Ignis. But now, with his best friend, the man he loved, stuck beneath the maw of a mangy beast, Gladio was regretting their decision to not go out with a full party.ORThe one where Gladio and Ignis finally realize life is too short not to tell your best friend you're in love with him.





	1. Chapter 1

“IGGY!” Gladio distantly heard the name called in a gruff voice that sounded an awful lot like his own. Only, it couldn’t belong to him, right? He was, after all, careening towards the coeurl ten feet ahead of him, the familiar form of one Ignis Scientia trapped below its gaping maw, futilely trying to hold it back from devouring his face by gripping his javelin with white knuckles between its jaws. 

It was to be a simple reconnaissance mission. Ignis and Gladio had agreed to scout a nearby Imperial base from a safe distance while Prompto and Noctis stayed behind at their haven. Honestly the thought of some time without those two in tow put Gladio in good spirits, even more so knowing that he would be getting some much desired alone time with Ignis. But now, with his best friend, the man he loved, stuck beneath the maw of a mangy beast, Gladio was regretting their decision to not go out with a full party. 

In six strides Gladio was on the coeurl, subconsciously conjuring his broadsword and swinging it over his head until he felt the resistance of his blade cutting into meat, bone, sinew. It made a gurgling sound and blood came gushing out as its body was split in two. The top half fell on Ignis’ prone form and Gladio heard what little breath was left in Ignis’ lungs escape him. 

Hastily Gladio moved to extract Ignis from beneath the body, though Ignis was already shoving it off of himself and scooting backwards, away from the bloody mass. He sat with his legs bent in front of himself, heaving for breath.

“Are you hurt?” Gladio asked, his mind going a mile a minute while clumsy hands felt over Ignis’ body for injuries.  _ Gods there’s so much blood, is any of it his? What if he loses it too quickly? We’re all out of phoenix down and I’ve only got one potion left but that won’t do much if he’s bleeding out... _

“No,” Ignis interrupted Gladio’s internal freakout with a simple word, muttered as he dazedly shook his head, “no, I’m fine.” His mussed hair fell across his eyes and carefully Gladio brushed the strands away and held Ignis’ loose hair at bay with the flat of his palm. He tilted Ignis’ chin up with his free hand and began to examine his eyes.

“What  _ are _ you doing?” Ignis asked while he confusedly leaned his face ever so slightly away from Gladio’s grasp. 

“Checking for a concussion,” Gladio replied. He could see no abnormalities in Ignis’ pupils and he supposed he seemed no less coherent than usual, if shaken. Of course there were various cuts and some nasty looking bruises along his abdomen that could be seen between gaps where his shirt was torn. But while his button-up was unsalvageable, it seemed Ignis’ minor injuries were nothing their last potion wouldn’t fix. 

“Here.” Gladio reached into his pocket and passed the vial to Ignis. 

“Thank you,” Ignis said, taking the potion in his hand and crushing it. Immediately Ignis’ entire body relaxed, the feeling of  _ renewa _ l coursing through him. He let out a content sigh, and the sight of his friend alive and decidedly well made Gladio do the same. 

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Gladio exhaled and crushed Ignis to him in a tight hug.

The angle was awkward with two men over six feet tall embracing on the ground as they crouched beside one another, but Gladio clung to Ignis’ one remaining suspender like he would disappear if he didn’t. Perhaps part of Gladio believed that he would. After witnessing Ignis Scientia, a man more prepared and unflappable than anyone else Gladio had ever met, and who Gladio considered his closest friend, have a near-death experience, he wasn’t exactly on his A-game. 

“Gladio, I can’t breathe,” Ignis muffledly complained. 

“Shit, sorry.” Gladio abruptly pulled away, yet still his hands lingered on Ignis’ upper arms, thumbs mindlessly rubbing patterns into his skin through the torn sleeves of his shirt. When Gladio tilted his head up to catch Ignis’ gaze, he was taken off guard once again. 

Ignis looked concerned and  _ no, that’s all wrong,  _ **_he’s_ ** _ supposed to be the one concerned _ , but before Gladio could protest Ignis asked “Are you alright?” 

Gladio barked out a laugh. “Am  _ I _ alright? You’re the one who almost just died.”

“I think that’s a bit of an over-exaggeration,” Ignis said, habitually making the motion to push his glasses up his nose even though they fell off in the struggle with the coeurl and wrinkling his nose when he came up empty.

“Did you see the size of that thing? It easily could have killed any of us,” Gladio insisted. 

Ignis frowned. “Well, it didn’t,” he said. Then, after a pause, “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

“You don’t have to thank me for saving your life, Iggy,” Gladio protested incredulously.

“Perhaps not,” Ignis said, “but even so, thank you, Gladio. I suspect I would not be sitting here now if it weren’t for your assistance. Now, I have a question.” He leaned away from Gladio to try to stand, and only then did Gladio realize he was still grasping Ignis’ shoulders. Abruptly he pulled away, silently begging himself to pull it together.

Gladio followed Ignis to standing and only then did Ignis repeat his question from before: “Are you certain you’re alright?”

“Oh,” Gladio said eloquently. “I, uh. I’m good, Specs. You’re okay and that’s all that matters.” Were Gladio a lesser man, he would have visibly flinched at his awkward admission. Instead he kept his cringing internal and prayed to Ramuh’s wrinkly ass that Ignis wouldn’t read into it too much. The last thing Gladio needed right now was his years-long crush on his coworker, best friend, and current traveling companion to be discovered. 

Yet, instead of questioning him Ignis simply scolded him. Though through the scolding Gladio thought he saw the hint of a smile on Ignis lips. “Come now, that can’t be all that matters. We do have a princely charge that takes first priority. Speaking of which, let us find our way back to camp, shall we? Let’s hope Noct and Prompto had a less eventful afternoon than we did.”

“Yeah,” Gladio agreed and turned toward the direction of their current haven. 

“Ah, have you seen my glasses?” Ignis asked, spinning in place to survey the ground for his misplaced spectacles. Looking around the gently swaying grass, one would not think that one of the most important people in Gladio’s life was just on the verge of a bloody death. 

Gladio grunted, and moved to pick them up. Amazingly the glasses were unharmed, except for a minor bend in the frame and a scratch in the corner of one of the lenses. He handed them to Ignis who pulled a little piece of cloth out of his pocket and wiped them down before placing them unceremoniously back on his face and properly looking at Gladio. 

“Alright,” Gladio said, “let’s get out of here.” Together he and Ignis walked side by side along the Wennath River and made their way to their camp, Gladio pointedly not thinking about what he would do if he lost Ignis. 


	2. Chapter 2

On their way back to camp, Ignis couldn’t help but reflect on all that just happened. While it seemed logical that he should be at least _slightly_ upset over the attack he just barely scraped through, he simply… wasn’t. Perhaps he subconsciously felt like every day was a near-death experience out in the far reaches of Eos with the Crown Prince of Lucis as his charge. No, Ignis wasn’t upset about the attack.

What he was concerned about, however, was the way Gladio had been acting _since_ the attack. To anyone other than Ignis, he was sure Gladio seemed as cool and collected as he always did. To Ignis, however, every swipe of his thumb over his eyebrow, the ever-so-slight tension held in his shoulders, the way his footfall was heavier than usual, as if he was too lost in thought to quiet them, all told him Gladio was far from composed.

At first, Ignis assumed that his friend’s discomfort arose from the shock of the encounter. But once it was established that Ignis was more than fine, Gladio’s concern didn’t fade in the slightest. His touch never left Ignis’ form; even now as they walked side by side Gladio had pressed himself so close to Ignis that their shoulders brushed on every other step. It was in Ignis’ nature to “mother” over those he cared for (as Noctis and Prompto never let him forget), but with Gladio it was different.

Ignis was not daft, nor was he blind (not with his glasses on, anyway). He knew how handsome a specimen Gladio was, and more than that he knew the strong, yet gentle, brilliant-in-his-own-way mind that Gladio possessed. Ignis was also no stranger to the way his body reacted to such knowledge, not only with innocent butterflies in his stomach, but also with awkwardly-concealed boners while he cooked in the mornings and Gladio performed shirtless pushups just within his line of sight.

Nevertheless, it scared Ignis to know that what he felt for Gladio went beyond even physical attraction. That, he could pull off - they were a group of four young men stuck on a roadtrip with no one else around - things were bound to happen. Yet physicality was not all Ignis craved.

He was in love with Gladio, quite frankly, and beyond even worrying about hiding it from the man, Ignis held a secret worry that one day he would have to choose between Noct and Gladio in an emergency, and all of them knew who he would save. Of course it would be Noctis - he was the prince, Ignis’ own charge, the man he had sworn on his very life to protect at all costs, and he did not regret it for a single second. But the thought of being in a situation in which he had to save Noct and leave Gladio behind… it was not one he liked to dwell on.

As they approached their current camp, Ignis was relieved to see Noctis and Prompto sitting in camping chairs around a small fire, their phones lighting up their faces while Prompto stuck his tongue out in concentration and Noct’s legs bounced up and down. There was no doubt in Ignis’ mind the two were engaged in a King’s Knight battle. Ignis greeted them as he and Gladio climbed to the top of the haven, and finally Gladio let his hand fall from the small of Ignis’ back. Immediately, Ignis missed his warm touch like he had lost a limb.

When the boys looked up at their newly-arrived companions, concern lighted on their faces.

“Shit, what happened to you?” Noctis asked, standing to get a better look at the cuts Ignis knew lined his abdomen.

“We ran into a bit of trouble,” Ignis said, and Gladio snorted.

“That’s an understatement.”

“Yes, well,” Ignis cleared his throat. “A coeurl attacked us and managed to pin me beneath it, but Gladio took care of it. We’re none the worse for wear.”

Prompto and Noctis wore dubious expressions, but neither pressed further. Perhaps they sensed Gladio’s unease, and that kept them from blabbing; even Ignis was on edge from Gladio’s attitude.

“I don’t suppose it would be too much to ask that we have cup noodles tonight instead of a cooked meal?” Ignis asked to no one in particular. He had already made up his mind anyway. For one thing, it had been a long day with a near death experience, and the last thing Ignis wanted to do was spend the next two hours cooking and cleaning up. More than that, though, Ignis knew how much Gladio loved a good cup noodle; perhaps his favorite food would snap him out of whatever funk he was in.

“Sounds good to me!” Prompto said enthusiastically. Yet surprisingly, there was hardly any reaction from Gladio other than an assenting grunt. And that, likely more than anything else since the attack, tipped Ignis off to just how upset Gladio really was.

  
  


After dinner and after Ignis had taken a potion and changed his clothes, Prompto and Noctis retired to the tent to “finish King’s Knight”, though Ignis suspected they were seeking some privacy for other reasons entirely.

He didn’t ask.

Together he and Gladio sat in silence by the fire, less companionable than it would normally be as Gladio still broodingly stared at the flames, even despite the cup noodle dinner. Finally Ignis could take the silence no longer; he was too worried to keep quiet.

“What’s bothering you, Gladio?” He asked.

Gladio frowned, and didn’t answer. After minutes of silence when Ignis began to irritably think he wouldn’t answer at all, Gladio slowly surrendered his gaze to Ignis’ piercing one.

“Iggy, you… _Shit_ . You almost _died_ ,” he breathed out raggedly.

While in the back of Ignis’ mind he of course knew all along that this is what had been bothering Gladio, it annoyed him now that Gladio finally said it outright. Why should this instance be any different from literally every other fight they’ve been in since going on this little excursion?

“It’s not as if we don’t all face life-threatening situations every day now,” Ignis said, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

Gladio grunted sharply. “This isn’t the same.”

“How, exactly, is it any different?” Ignis asked, his voice rising in volume.

“Because it’s _you_!” Gladio growled and moved to stand. He began to pace behind the folding chair he just vacated and crossed his arms over his bare chest.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Ignis snapped, crossing his own arms defensively. For the first time, Ignis wondered: did Gladio think him incapable of defending himself? Did he think him weak? A burden? The thought had never occurred to him before, but perhaps Gladio thought so lowly of Ignis’ physical prowess all along.

He was expecting an exasperated comment about his fighting style, or a complaint over his tactical eye, though Gladio had done nothing but praise him for these attributes in the past. Instead, Ignis was shocked to hear, “It means I almost lost you, Ignis!”

Gladio shouted this admission while standing above the spot where Ignis sat in a folding chair with his arms crossed; Ignis wasn’t sure how to respond to it. Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of such a statement, maybe it was Gladio’s proximity to him, maybe it was the use of his full name which Ignis can’t remember Gladio saying since the first few times they had met as young teens, or perhaps some combination of all of them. Whatever the reason, Ignis’ brain had vacated and left him sitting, perplexed, no doubt a foolish look on his face.

After a moment Gladio sighed and relaxed his posture before taking a step back from Ignis, as if just realizing how close they were.

“Not that this is about me,” Gladio stuttered, “I just…” He sighed again and looked away as if embarrassed by what he was about to say, though that would be ridiculous… _Gladiolus Amicitia, visibly embarrassed?_ Ignis hadn’t seen him like this since they were thirteen and Iris had let slip to one of their classmates that Gladio had a crush on her. “I care about you a lot, Iggy,” he continued. “More than I probably should. And I dunno, I always worry about Noct, because that’s my job, and I worry about Prompto because the kid’s scrawnier than a cactuar needle. But I don’t worry about keeping an eye on you like that. Maybe I should, I dunno. You just always seem to have everything together and I know it’s stupid, but you just seem… invincible. And then to watch you almost get mauled by a fucking _coeurl_ , of all things… it made me realize that anything can happen.”

When Gladio finished, Ignis still didn’t know what to say. He stood, to be on equal footing with Gladio, and through the pounding of his heart he took Gladio’s hand in his own. _I care about you more than I probably should_ , he had said. Surely, he meant that in the same way Ignis feels about him?

Ignis looked up to meet Gladio’s gaze, and held his breath, trying to think of the right thing to say, but the words never came. Instead, he dropped his gaze to Gladio’s chapped lips. Slowly he leaned in, his mind blessedly blank for once. For perhaps the first time in his life Ignis didn’t overthink it, didn’t weigh the pros and cons… he simply did what felt right. And _astrals_ , did it feel right when Gladio met him halfway in a soft, lingering kiss.

It was Ignis that pulled away first, but before he could open his eyes Gladio had found his lips again, more insistent this time. The wet sound of their mouths meeting permeated the air around them. Ignis moved to rest the hand not holding Gladio’s own against his tattooed chest. He could feel Gladio’s erratic heartbeat and smiled into the kiss before pulling away for air.

This time he opened his eyes and met Gladio’s deep brown ones. Ignis tried to say something suave, he really did, but what came out instead was “That… _ahem_. That was nice.” He adjusted his glasses that had shifted during their kiss and tried not to cringe at the way his traitorous voice broke on the first word. Gladio, mercifully, simply grinned and agreed.

Ignis’ brain, on the other hand, seemed to have had its fill of radio silence, and came back with a vengeance. “We should talk about this,” he said in a hushed tone, still not letting go of Gladio’s hand. “Preferably not with those two so close.”

“How much do you think they heard?” Gladio asked, whispering too.

“That depends largely on how well they were keeping each other distracted, I imagine.” Ignis said. Gladio snorted. “Perhaps we can stop in Lestallum tomorrow and stay at the Leville. We can get a couple of rooms,” Ignis said, trying to calculate the cost in his mind. “We should have sufficient funds for that, especially if we pick up a hunt while we’re in town.”

“Sounds good to me,” Gladio said, and gestured toward the tent with his head. “Shiva knows those two won’t complain about their own cushy hotel room.” He lifted his hand to stroke a thumb across Ignis’ cheek. Ignis blushed, and then blushed even harder because he was embarrassed that he was reacting like a schoolgirl to Gladio’s mere presence. Gladio, thankfully, either didn’t notice or simply didn’t comment. Knowing how astute the man was, Ignis assumed the latter. Instead, Gladio lowered his head to catch Ignis’ lips once again, and hummed in satisfaction.

***

“I told you they wouldn’t wait that long,” Prompto whispered with a shit-eating grin and held out his hand to a grumbling Noctis. The two sat pressed up against the side of the tent, listening to the older mens’ argument and subsequent makeout session.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Noctis said and handed him fifty gil. Then he moved to lay down on his mattress, positioned away from his boyfriend.

“Aw, don’t be like that, buddy,” Prompto teased. He reached for Noctis’ shoulder to turn him over so that he was facing him, and bent down to get closer to the prince’s frowning face. “I’ll make it up to you,” Prompto grinned, and Noctis rolled his eyes before meeting him for their own kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, comments make the updates come quicker! ;P


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